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Show WHY JAPANESE PRINCECOMESi Friendship for United States. (Mikado's Minister Explains Object of the Royal Visit. Primarily to View "Wonders of the "World's Fair, and Evidence oi Emperor's Regard. "WASHINGTON, Oct. 23. It was announced an-nounced authoritatively today that the purpose of the Emperor of Japan Jn sending- on a visit to this country his adopted brother, his Imperial Highness Prince Fushlml, ivho will reach San Francisco about the middle of November, Novem-ber, is to strengthen by every appropriate appro-priate means thc traditional friendship between tho United States and Japan. Mr. Kogoro Takahira, the Japanese Minister at "Washington, In a conversa tion at tho Legation, said: "When a person of dignity travels in a foreign country It Is almost always al-ways the case that the occasion Is used to start some speculation In regard to the object of his Journey. So I do not expect that exception should be made of the visit of his Imperial Highness. To attribute it to the so-called change in American feeling as represented by some newspapers Is entirely a 'guess from wild Imagination. To Sea "World's Fair, "The Prince's visit to this country was originally brought into consideration considera-tion as long ago as last spring, but a3 It was a part of its object to see the World's fair at St. Louis, it was considered con-sidered advisable to defer It to the autumn, au-tumn, when the exhibits would be in a more complete form for observation, and for that reason this time was chOBen for his vIbU. "There Is, of course, no question about tho principal object of his visit being to strengthen thereby the tic of genuine gen-uine friendship so happily existing between be-tween the United States and Japan in a most appropriate manner, but not In such 'patchwork' fashion as hns beer, reported in some quarters. "His Highness will maintain his official offi-cial status as Imperial Prince only at Washington and SL Louis, but In all other cities he will travel Incognito. This is nnother evidence that he Is not coming here to start a 'boom,' as has been reported. "After lils vlBlt to the fair, where he will be particularly Interested to see that wonderful display of American genius and energy, he will visit the educational, ed-ucational, commercial and Industrial centers of this country, such as Boston, Bos-ton, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburg, Chicago, etc., to study the true caunes of the greatness of the United States, and also of the legitimate lnlluence of this great Republic In the far East. No Chang of Sentiment. "As to the so-called change In the American sentiment toward Japan 90 often -alluded to recently In some newspapers, news-papers, I do not feel It at all. It may be because I have not been subject to a fit of nervousness for some time that I do not feel such a change, if there is any. But in my opinion, so long as Japan has nothing n her motive nor action to rellect on her that may be considered prejudicial to the legitimate interest of all nations she has no fear of losing the friendship of any people, and even if there should occur some deviation in this sentiment through misunderstanding or on account of mischievous mis-chievous ugencleB, such misunderstanding misunderstand-ing soon must disappear, Inasmuch as there Is no, real ground for its existence. exist-ence. We are not afraid of any mich misunderstanding, but we implicitly rely upon the keen intelligence and good sense of the American people for a correct Judgment of our cause and position." po-sition." Mr. Pierce, the third assistant secretary secre-tary of State, and Mr. Takahira are now preparing tho programme for the entertainment of the Prince. High honor will be shown the distinguished member of the Royal house, and in addition ad-dition to a dinner by the President at thc WlUte House, there will be a, round of official entertainments in his honor. It Is probable the Prince's tour will Include In-clude a visit to West Point, as his highness la keenly interested In military mili-tary matters, having already fought with distinction in the far Eastern, war. |